260 Management of Grass Land. 



point by the author of the preceding essay (see p. 226) ; with 

 the exception that he appears to me to underrate the amount 

 and value of the vegetable remains contained in this fine mould ; 

 but the action of worms, even on free soil, where there is nothing 

 to impede their operations, is far from rapid, and on stiff clays it 

 is slower still : on sandy loam I have found that wormcasts and 

 decayed grass-roots unitedly accumulated a layer of soil not exceed- 

 ino- an inch and a half in 12 years, as tested by the descent of a 

 Avell-marked topdressing of mineral matter. This rate of descent 

 is much slower than that recorded by Mr. Darwin (quoted in Mr. 

 Bowditch's paper, p. 225) ; but it is probable that the number 

 of worms, and consequently the effect produced by their accumu- 

 lated deposits, varies in different soils and situations quite as 

 much, or moi'e, than would be sufficient to account for the varia- 

 tion in the descent of mineral, matters above alluded to. Those 

 who have in their boyhood dug for worms for groundbait are well 

 aware that one spadeful of rich well-manured loam will often do 

 more towards supplying their wants than a whole hour's digging 

 on poor snndy soil, and I am strongly of opinion that the good 

 effects of manure on newly-laid grass-land are very much aided 

 and increased by the stimulus thus given to the action and to tlie 

 increase of earthworms. 



1 have already mentioned that the first year's produce from 

 land sown with grass-seeds is almost invariably the best, and 

 that after the second year there is a marked falling off, which 

 may be much mitigated but cannot be altogether avoided with- 

 out great outlay. This is so well recognised by Scotch farmers 

 that it is unusual with them to allow land (unless under special 

 circumstances) to remain more than two years in grass. There 

 can be little doubt but that on land of moderate quality more 

 profit may be made, and more food raised both for man and beast 

 under this system than by keeping such land in permanent 

 pasture. By the Scotch or convertible system, when two crops 

 of grass have been removed, or consumed on the land, and the 

 period of stagnation and decline has arrived, the land is re- 

 novated by cultivation, and the exposure to the atmosphere con- 

 sequent upon ploughing out converts the remains of the grass as 

 well as the minerals of the soil into valuable food for corn ; but, 

 when in permanent grass, the diminution of nourishment received 

 in consequence of the land remaining unstirred has to be made 

 good chiefly from extraneous sources, until repeated dressings of 

 manure or compost, and the accumulated labours of our slow but 

 steady friends the earthworms, have provided a store of fertile 

 and finely-divided matter, immediately under the sward, which 

 is thenceforward able to maintain the style and title of old grass. 

 Doubtless there are many considerations which combine to 



